Refuge on the Couch
by The Lightning Knight
Summary: "It looks like it's gonna work out, Ezekiel." Bridgette told her friend. "But in case it doesn't, keep your door unlocked."


A/N: Yeah, I decided to write another story.

**I'm still working on the other stories, but I had to do this. The idea actually came into my head… um, I'll just skip this.**

**I rated this T for minor sexual things and drug stuff. I'm somewhat of a prude, so sorry if I seem rambley trying to get my point across.**

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**Refuge on the Couch**

"Yeah, well… Yo mamma didn't raise you right! Oh, what now punk?"

Ezekiel slammed the door behind him. He had decided to throw a party at his barn while his parents were on their anniversary date. After seeing him all alone with the worst chaperone ever (take a guess) they decided he could be at home alone.

Of course, when he invited his friend Geoff over, it became a whole different story. The party guy thought that just hanging out in a barn wasn't the best idea. So he got all of the friends that he knew from the show an other places, and planned a barn dance.

_"I don't know if my parents would-"_

_"Dude! Think about it – your parents want you to be happy, right?"_

_"Yeah, but-"_

_"And parties make you happy! It's a fact!"_

_"Well… my parents said that I was aloud to have a few friends over…"_

_"Exactly! A party is just a few friends times a hundred."_

_"Wait… what?"_

_"Let's get ready! Text the invitations!"_

_"Yeah! We're gonna party like it's 1695!"_

Later on, a lot of people from the island showed up. A few of their friends, too. Ezekiel couldn't even understand the conversation between Leshawna, her cousin, and her friends. DJ was dancing and mingling, surprisingly very popular. Harold's possum scout pals met up with Cody's Einstein Fan Club and Noah's Alliance. Duncan was having a field day. Lindsay and Tyler were making out, which seemed a bit inappropriate.

_"Yo, Geoff!"_

_"Sup, Homeschool? What do you think?"_

_"You were right! This is fun!"_

_"But, you know… This party's getting a bit too big for the barn. I was thinking… how about we move this thing to the pond? Assuming it's clean."_

_"Um, it's cleaner than-"_

_"Great! Everyone! The barn dance is now a pool party!"_

_Everyone scrambled out to follow Geoff to the pond. Ezekiel was trampled but quickly got up._

_"Wait for me, guys!"_

At the pool, of course, everyone changed into their swimsuits. These were teenagers and, well, the rest was history.

As Ezekiel sat in his couch, the sliding glass window locked, he wondered how anyone could be so… inappropriate. Geoff's friends weren't decent or nice at all, and Geoff, who he thought was cool, stooped to their level when he was around him.

"What a phoney, eh." Ezekiel murmured. He didn't even know that teenagers knew about the kind of stuff they were talking about. He knew the basics of adult activities, but not how to actually… do them.

But that, and even the alcohol and drugs, wasn't what drove Homeschool inside. It was their reaction.

_"You don't like beer? Well let's mix up some kool aide. Then we can get Barney to come and teach us the alphabet! Grow up, Zeke."_

_"Your parents can go and –"_

_"You're serious? Really?_

_"Oh my gosh." (There was cursing, but he eliminated it from his recap)_

_"Look, Homeschool. Making out is partying for a lot of people, and a lot of people like beer. Let's not ruin it for them, okay?"_

_"Stop being such a – "_

_"Your parents?"_

_"Why should I pick my trash up? Your parents don't deserve 'respect', if they told you what you said on…"_

_"Grow up."_

Eventually, the harassment to one comment he made started to turn violent.

"Some party, eh." He was starting to think that Barney wasn't such a bad idea. Although he wasn't aloud to watch it because of the witchcraft in it. Dinosaurs don't come to life!

As he was about to turn on the TV to tune out the profane music, he heard a knocking.

"I told you, it's my choice if I don't want to – " he heard a faint voice… a girl's. "What, yo?"

At the door was a worn-out and worried-looking girl he knew, clutching a towel around her, still wet.

"Bridgette?" he ran over to open the door. As soon as he did, Bridgette ran in frantically, startling him.

"Close the door!"

"But why-"

"Just close it!"

Ezekiel did as he was told. "Um, what's going on, eh?"

"It's just… those people."

He nodded. "I know what you're talking about. Want a seat?" he gestured toward his couch.

"Oh, um… I'm still wet from –"

"Don't worry about it. I sit here after swimming a lot. Then again, I also got a spanking for it.

"Spanking?" Bridgette asked as she sat down.

"Yeah." Ezekiel responded sitting down on the other side. "It's where your parents get a-"

"I know what it is. But, you still get spanked?"

"Yeah, eh. How do your parents discipline you?"

"I normally don't get punished… but I've been grounded before."

"I can't really be grounded. I'm always here anyway, eh."

"Which brings up another question…" she smirked. "How would you get in trouble if you can't go out?"

"Um… not doing something I was told to… sneaking into the local public school to play hockey?"

"Hooky?"

"Um, yeah.."

They sat there for a little bit, and Ezekiel felt compelled to say something. "D-do you want some chips or something?"

"I'm good. I'm still not that fond of chips after a certain incident."

"Ah."

And there was more awkward science.

"So, what happened out there, eh?" Ezekiel asked. Then he quickly added, "If you want to tell me, that is."

Bridgette sighed. "I like Geoff, but his friends – well, I guess that I'm not that into them. Plus there's Duncan and his buddies from Juvie." The surfer pulled up the towel a little more.

"They were drinking alchohol." Ezekiel added. "I thought that only irresponsible adults did that, eh?"

"I wish that were true. Ezekiel, how do you avoid people like that?"

Zeke froze up when she said his name. The only other times were about him, but this time it was in a real conversation with him.

"Um, well…" he rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Home schooled."

"You know, sometimes I wish that I lived in a small world like you. Not that you're… ignorant or anything. I'm sure you're smart… but…"

"Yeah, um… uh,, yeah, eh."

The silence started again. This time, though, the surfer spoke.

"Some of the guys made some… comments about me when I got in the pond." Bridgette finally told him. "I'm used to it, but they went overboard this time. And after I got out of the pond – which, I add, was hard to do with all these people's eyes on me – someone had taken my clothes and towel. Probably some fan. They can get crazy. But anyway, I was in nothing but my swimsuit in front of all of those crazy guys, and Geoff was too drunk to do anything. Luckily, Courtney had a towel she was willing to give me, and even scolded them on my behalf."

Ezekiel's jaw dropped. "Geoff gets drunk?"

"Yes, Ezekiel. Geoff gets drunk. Not very often, and not near as bad as his friends. But he's a party guy, and so drinking is pretty much inevitable."

"Oh! That's why people at my church are so against partying! I thought that it was just that they were square, yo."

Bridgette rolled her eyes, and Ezekiel felt bad. "D-did I say something wrong, eh?"

"No, you- you didn't." she pondered something for a moment. "What made you come inside, though? It's your party."

"I was getting harassed, yo." Ezekiel explained. "Don't know what their problem with me is. At least I never get laid because I don't want to, they don't because they can't."

Bridgette laughed at this… surprisingly forward joke from Ezekiel, and he grinned.

"You like that? I've been thinking it out sense one of them first talked to me, eh."

"That was pretty funny… normally, I'd have to punch you. But, because of the circumstances, I'll let it pass."

"That's good, eh. You probably punch hard."

"Even if I'm a girl?" she smirked.

He blushed. "Um, well… uh…"

"Don't worry about it." She giggled.

"Oh. Phew. That could've been bad, eh."

They talked some more, about their families, farming, surfing, world views, and relationships. Gradually the two moved in closer to each other on the couch, an neither really noticed that they were close to touching. After a little while, Bridgette started to scratch herself.

"What's wrong?" Ezekiel asked. "Did you step in the – "

"No, I think it's this towel." She continued to itch. "Okay, I can't take this anymore. Are there any guys outside?"

Ezekiel glanced out the door. "Not that I see, eh. But – "

He stopped soon when Bridgette shed the towel. She was wearing a blue bikini, the same one she wore while tanning. Ezekiel stared on, the surfer inches away from him. He turned a deep red, and quickly looked away. He was expecting the wetsuit.

"Oh, yes. That feels better. Hey, thanks for hiding me here, Ezekiel."

The surfer gave him a side-hug, and his eyes went wide.

"Um, yeah…" he looked around the room, trying desperately not to stare at her. Then, next to the couch, he saw that blanket with sleeves that his mom ordered from the TV. Ezekiel's dad was so upset with her for that, but then he tried it.

"Are, um, a-are you cold?" he stammered, keeping his eyes on the snuggly object.

"Not really. But hey, I love those things! Are you sure I can use it?"

"S-sure." He tossed it to her, and she wrapped it around herself. "Ah. So much better. Thanks."

"Phew."

"Are you okay? You look somewhat… tense."

"Um… no, I-I'm okay."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, yo. J-just cool as always babe."

She giggled. "Whatever you say, Ezekiel."

They stopped talking, yet again.

"I like that you do that." Zeke finally said.

"What?"

"You're the only one that calls me 'Ezekiel'. Everyone else calls me Homeschool or Zeke, eh."

"Even you call yourself that." Bridgette pointed out.

"True, but you know how it is with the public… according to Noah, they can't even memorize a name as long as mine, yo."

"Well, I always thought that it wasn't fair to call you Homeschool. It seemed offensive, and Zeke… well, I like Ezekiel better. More original."

"Yeah… It was after a prophet in the Bible, yo. I never got what was with everyone puttin' those guys down."

"Why do you do that?"

"What?"

"Try to use that 'cool' language?"

"It's just who I am, sista."

"No it isn't." she looked serious. "You didn't talk like that at the island. What made you pick it up?"

He sighed. What did? "Well…" he scratched the back of his head, "I was pretty much ignored, eh. Everyone thought I was weird and ignored me. So I thought that if I got some bling, learned some cool-speak, and hung out with cool people like you and Geoff, I'd actually have some friends, eh."

Bridgette stared at him for a moment.

"Is something wrong, Bridgette?"

"No… it's just… I bonked you on the head that one time, and I haven't been the nicest person to you." She looked ashamed. "I didn't have any idea that you wanted to fit in so badly."

"Aw, come on. It's not that bad, eh. Sure, you voted me off twice, and threatened to hit me, and… where was I going with this again?"

"You're great the way you normally are, Ezekiel." She looked away. "Probably better than me."

"Aw, that's crazy, eh." He responded. "You're better than anyone on the show. You're smart, pretty and – " Ezekiel stopped when he saw her looking at him, and realized what he had just let slip. "I meant – what I meant to say was- I-"

He was cut off when Bridgette's arms wrapped around him, this time a full hug, and a cheek-kiss. He, for the first time in a while, was completely speechless, something he had vowed not to be. So he just smiled, probably a goofy-looking one, but he didn't care.

"That's probably the nicest thing anyone's said to me." She told him. "Thank you."

After she separated from him, he was left frozen smiling, but then slapped himself. A horrible thought had come upon him. "But wait… What will Geoff think when he hears that?"

"Ezekiel, hugging's something friends can do." She told him, probably scared that she was leading him on.

"But, when Noah –"

"I don't really like Noah all that much." She explained. "Plus, I was a little… defensive of my relationship at that point.

"But what I meant was, when he hears that I said the nicest thing to you tonight."

She shrugged. "Well, it's true. He's sweet, but the furthest his compliments go are calling me a babe or a superficial declaration of love. Guys like you, well, you say 'I love you' and mean it. Not just to get a make-out session."

"Make-out?" Ezekiel gasped. "Isn't that a term for… um, you know… th-that thing… doing…"

Bridgette chuckled, and cut him off. "No, Ezekiel. It's not what you're thinking."

"Oh. Phew. It must just be that heavy kissing you two do in front of everybody, eh." Bridgette now had her turn to blush. "I'm just surprised that people do that… other thing before marriage."

He figured that she probably thought he was crazy now, like most girls did.

"I'm really not sure where I stand on that, to be honest." She replied somewhat awkwardly. "But I think that it's really sweet that you're willing to wait."

"R-really?" he was taken aback. Most other teenagers told him to 'grow up'. Hey, he should tell her that now.

"Most other teenagers to-tell me to 'grow up', eh."

Bridgette rolled her eyes annoyedly. "Sounds to me like they need to 'grow up'."

"I've learned not to say much that's debatable among people. Like, you know liberals? I thought that they were just a group of evil people that met to tick off my dad. Turns out, they're everywhere, eh!"

Bridgette didn't know whether to be offended or amused. At any rate, she was starting to see past his annoying and awkward exterior to see the nice, chivalrous guy he was.

"Ezekiel, I'm tired." She told him, then yawned. "But I don't think I'll be able to get past that group outside. Can I maybe sleep on your couch?"

"Sure!" he felt nervous about just the idea of him having a girl sleeping in the same house as him, that wasn't his mother. Then he thought for a moment – she was a woman who needed a place to sleep. And well…

"Actually, I'll sleep down here. You can take my bed."

"Aw, that's not necessary."

"I insist, eh."

"Well, okay then. I know how persistent you can be." She teased. "I just need to talk about some more before I go."

Then Bridgette yawned and but her head on a shocked Ezekiel's shoulder. He shook it off.

"W-what's on your mind?"

She looked like she was thinking. Maybe she was actually thinking of what to say to him, which would mean that she wanted to stay. Ezekiel swooned at the thought.

"I don't know about me and Geoff." She finally told him.

"Huh? Why, eh?"

"He's just not who he was. Or who I thought he was. And yes, we've 'broken up' before, but it's getting ridiculous. And now he's getting more and more wild at these parties, and he's ruining poor Ezekiel's reputation…"

"Um, I'm right here, eh."

"Huh? Oh, sorry. These are just my thoughts, Ezekiel."

"Wow… you sure like my name."

Bridgette blushed a bit and smiled. "Yeah, I do."

"So anyway, are you going to break up with him?"

"I think so. He's… he has addictions, Ezekiel. I don't want to talk about them, but… he really tries hard to cure them. He tries hard to be a good boyfriend but… it's not working out. I need someone who's laid-back, but can also work. Someone who actually knows the depth of what they're saying. Someone… with a nice, original, Biblical name."

"Noah?" Ezekiel suggested.

"No, not Noah! You!" Ezekiel was shocked. "Th-that wasn't subtle, I know. But you're a great guy, Ezekiel."

He couldn't believe it. Bridgette, the girl of his dreams, was asking him out. The day before she wouldn't even give him the time… or whatever it was.

She leaned in, putting her hand on his. He leaned in too. And then the two shared a soft, sweet kiss.

Wow, Bridgette, the girl of his dreams. She was making the move – not conventional, but like that mattered anymore. And he had just kissed her. And now… they could be together. There was only one word in his mind that he could say aloud.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"No! I – I really like you, Bridgette. But Geoff's my friend. And the two of you… you always find a way out of it, eh!

"Ezekiel-"

"You owe it to him to help him out. For better or for worse, right?"

"Those are wedding vows, Ezekiel."

"Dating is just like marriage, except… without vows or… anyway, you said that he was trying, right? Just try to deal with it for a while. There's this Addiction Recovery for teenagers at my church, eh. If you're not comfortable with that then there's plenty of other things left. And I'm not saying to waste your life trying to 'fix' him, but… well, try one of the church or other things, or wait 'til he's sober, and then make a decision. I- I don't want you to do anything you'd regret."

Bridgette just nodded, surprising him. "You're right. I did sort of make that decision in the heat of the moment." She sighed, and nuzzled against his shoulder some more. "Can I still rest here?"

"Sure."

The sweet moment was interrupted, however by voices outside the door.

"Alright! Homeschool got some!"

"Ugh, how does someone like that get a girl like her?"

"Was she feisty?"

"Just ignore them, Ezekiel." She told him.

"Man, there is no way."

"Look… that floozy's wearing a robe!"

"I love those things! I got one from the TV."

This was Ezekiel's breaking point. Not the TV comment, but calling Bridgette a 'floozy'.

He got up, leaving a concerned Bridgette, and marched outside.

"Oh, he's comin' out!"

"Wow, Homeschool." Duncan commented, twisting a knife. "Don't like TV adds?"

"Shut up about Bridgette, eh."

"Why?"

"Because – I've been with animals. I may not look so tough, but I'll go rat on your hieney!"

"Hieney? Really?" one of the guys said. "How did you get her in bed with you in the-"

"AAAAAHHH!"

In a moment, that guy was on the ground, a furious Ezekiel pounding him like an angry money while making scary growling noises.

Geoff, rubbing his head, walked over. "Yeah! Go Homeschool! What's the fight over?"

"Some of them were talking about Bridgette." Duncan told him indifferently.

"What?"

In another moment, all the other guys were being slammed into walls and bonked on the head.

"Don't. Ever. Mess. With. Bridgette!"

"Come on, Geoff. Chill out."

"You chill out!" _**Punch. **_

After all of the guys had either been knocked out or run away, Eva walked by and knocked out the girls who, of course, were making the two people who smacked their boyfriends sound bad.

"Thanks for sticking up for Bridgette, Eva."

"I was sticking up for Bridgette? I thought I was just knocking out annoying people. But whatever."

After the fighting stopped, Bridgette ran outside.

"Geoff!"

"Hey, Bridge. I know that I had one too many earlier, but… well, I'm sorry. I love you, babe!"

She smiled. After seeing him beat down a group of guys for verbally harassing her, she knew that his "I love you' wasn't superficial. So she hugged him, and he leaned in for a kiss.

"Are you sober?" she asked him sternly.

"More-or-less."

And they kissed. However, it wasn't one of their normal make-out sessions. It was deeper than that. It was long, but there weren't as many of the slurping or moaning noises as they used to have. It was sweet, innocent; but arguably more passionate than the others.

Ezekiel smiled. It was a relief too; he really didn't know how telling Bridgette to stay with Geoff would turn out.

"And Homeschool, thanks for sticking up for her. I owe you one."

"Like you have no idea." Ezekiel murmured. Then he looked up to Bridgette smiling gratefully at him.

"Wanna go make out in the hot tub?"

Bridgette looked annoyed, but swallowed it and smiled. "Um, there is no hot tub. But I'll meet up with you, just let me talk to Ezekiel."

"Who? Oh, yeah. Okay. See you at the party." Geoff cheered and walked away.

"It looks like it's gonna work out, Ezekiel." Bridgette told her friend. "But in case it doesn't, keep your door unlocked."

She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Coming, Geoff!"

Ezekiel collapsed on the ground, staring up at the stars sighing. "I need to learn to keep my mouth shut, eh."

As he lay there next to the unconscious bullies, one of them slowly rose up. "What happened?" he asked, rubbing his head.

_**POW!**_

Eva leaned over the bully, fist out.

"That's for being stupid!"

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**A/N: Sorry if it seemed narm-ish, but I like what I wrote.**

**Reviews and critiques are appreciated. Flames are funny.**


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